This exploratory paper examines giving and philanthropy in Singapore's grassroots community when the "Pioneer Generation" was young.

Follow their journey from settling in Singapore, struggling through the Japanese Occupation, and onwards to building a new Singapore just before nationhood.

With little money and many mouths to feed, pioneers and their parents still gave generously. They helped families in their old homelands survive while building new communities in Singapore. How did they manage?

Join ACSEP Senior Research Associate Yu-lin Ooi for a discussion on the place of giving in Singapore's traditional Asian societies; how it is deeply embedded in our sense of self; and how philanthropy became part of grassroots life in Singapore.